[Dixonary]OT: CutePDF

[Dodi Schultz]

Dan / Paul / Judy:

Thank you again for recommending CutePDF, which works just fine.

This is just one further small question: It doesn't work with DOS-based
stuff, right? I've just tried it with a DOS-based wordprocessor
(WP5.1-DOS), and it doesn't appear to be available for output from that
program. Is there a way to sneak around that? Perhaps an intermittent
step before that "printer" choice?

Not an urgent need; just looking ahead and testing.

--Dodi

[Judy Madnick]

<< This is just one further small question: It doesn't work with
<< DOS-based
<< stuff, right? I've just tried it with a DOS-based wordprocessor
<< (WP5.1-DOS), and it doesn't appear to be available for output
<< from that
<< program. Is there a way to sneak around that? Perhaps an
<< intermittent
<< step before that "printer" choice?

I can't help with that one because I no longer have any DOS-based programs on my computer. When you're ready to print in WP5.1-DOS, are all printers listed (e.g., CutePDF)? If not, someone with more knowledge than I will have to reply!

Judy

[Paul Keating]

Dodi,

No, it won’t work with DOS-based stuff because DOS writes directly to the physical parallel port and expects a printer to be plugged in there. CutePDF, needless to say, isn’t.

Two suggestions (bearing in mind that what I know about WP will fit on a postage stamp).

1. Import your WP5.1 file into whatever Windows word-processor will mangle it least, and print from there.
2. Tell WP5.1 that it is talking to a PostScript printer. One that it ought to know about is Apple LaserWriter, which was around in 1985. Choose the option print to file (I’m guessing there is such an option somewhere, practically every DOS program had one). If that works, you will have a PostScript file that GhostScript will convert for you. The command to convert it will be something like

C:\Program Files\Ghostscript 8.56\gs8.56\bin>gswin32c.exe –sDEVICE=pdfwrite mysavedwp51.ps

Best of luck

P


From: Dodi Schultz
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2010 5:42 PM
To: Dixonary (AT) googlegroups (DOT) com
Subject: [Dixonary]OT: CutePDF


Dan / Paul / Judy:

Thank you again for recommending CutePDF, which works just fine.

This is just one further small question: It doesn't work with DOS-based stuff, right? I've just tried it with a DOS-based wordprocessor (WP5.1-DOS), and it doesn't appear to be available for output from that program. Is there a way to sneak around that? Perhaps an intermittent step before that "printer" choice?

Not an urgent need; just looking ahead and testing.

--Dodi

[Dodi Schultz]

Judy Madnick wrote:

> I can't help with that one because I no longer have any DOS-based programs on my computer. When you're ready to print in WP5.1-DOS, are all printers listed (e.g., CutePDF)?

No, because it knows only what it knows, and Windows is above its grade
level. I didn't expect it to be aware of CutePDF. I'm just curious as to
whether there's a work-around.

I actually also have a later (Win) version of WP, and I'm fine with
using that to do what I'm doing right now. It's just that I'm extremely
fond of 5.1, and I'm looking at a near-future project I'd prefer to
create in that version.

--Dodi

[Dodi Schultz]

Paul Keating wrote:

> Two suggestions . . .
>
> 1. Import your WP5.1 file into whatever Windows word-processor will
> mangle it least, and print from there.

Afraid not possible, because it's a complex format highly susceptible to
mangling.

> 2. Tell WP5.1 that it is talking to a PostScript printer. One that it
> ought to know about is Apple LaserWriter, which was around in 1985.
> Choose the option print to file (I'm guessing there is such an option
> somewhere, practically every DOS program had one). If that works, you
> will have a PostScript file that GhostScript will convert for you. The
> command to convert it will be something like
>
> C:\Program Files\Ghostscript 8.56\gs8.56\bin>*gswin32c.exe
> --sDEVICE=pdfwrite mysavedwp51.ps*

Now we're getting beyond *my* grade level. I think that for this
particular task, I'll just trot the finished 5.1 product to my neighbor
who has a scanner (which I do not) and can thus turn it into a PDF.

But thank you! I feared it was pretty complicated, and you've confirmed
that.

--Dodi

[Paul Keating]

Because I was only guessing that it would really work, your solution will be both certain, and (at least the first time) 200 times quicker. Recipes like that really only work smoothly when you have done it, which of course (for reasons that we know) I haven’t. Yes, the recipe may very well be workable, with some tweaking; and no, I quite understand that, unless bereft of alternatives, you don’t want to go down that route.

From: Dodi Schultz

Now we're getting beyond my grade level. I think that for this particular task, I'll just trot the finished 5.1 product to my neighbor who has a scanner (which I do not) and can thus turn it into a PDF.

But thank you! I feared it was pretty complicated, and you've confirmed that.

--Dodi

[Judy Madnick]

From: "Dodi Schultz" <DodiSchultz (AT) nasw (DOT) org>

<< I actually also have a later (Win) version of WP, and I'm fine
<< with
<< using that to do what I'm doing right now. It's just that I'm
<< extremely
<< fond of 5.1, and I'm looking at a near-future project I'd prefer to
<< create in that version.

I can certainly understand preferring 5.1. But I believe you can open in Windows anything you create in 5.1 so that you are able to choose CutePDF. One nice feature of WordPerfect is that the various versions are generally compatible (unlike MS products). You might have to make some minor adjustments, but it's worth a try.

Just a thought...

Judy

[Dodi Schultz]

Judy Madnick wrote:

> I can certainly understand preferring 5.1. But I believe you can open in Windows anything you create in 5.1 so that you are able to choose CutePDF. One nice feature of WordPerfect is that the various versions are generally compatible (unlike MS products). You might have to make some minor adjustments, but it's worth a try.
>

Hm. REALLY? The other WP I have is WPWin6.1 (with which I produced
something today and easily turned it into a PDF with CutePDF). You mean
I could move a WPDOS5.1 file into the Win WP? With all formatting codes
intact? How? Or do you mean something else by "open in Windows"?
Remember that technologically, I am pathetically challenged.

--Dodi

[Judy Madnick]

From: "Dodi Schultz" <DodiSchultz (AT) nasw (DOT) org>

<< Hm. REALLY? The other WP I have is WPWin6.1 (with which I
<< produced
<< something today and easily turned it into a PDF with
<< CutePDF). You mean
<< I could move a WPDOS5.1 file into the Win WP? With all
<< formatting codes
<< intact? How? Or do you mean something else by "open in
<< Windows"?
<< Remember that technologically, I am pathetically challenged.

(Assuming that you know where the file is located), open WPWin and find and open the file in question. See how it looks to you. If it looks fine, go to File|Print and find CutePDF. If it doesn't look fine, it's possible that *very* minor adjustments will be all that's needed.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I haven't used 5.1 (DOS) in a number of years and no longer have it installed, so I can't test it. (I have a friend who still uses WP5.1 (DOS) so you're not alone!)

Judy

[Dodi Schultz]

Judy Madnick wrote:

> (Assuming that you know where the file is located), open WPWin and find and open the file in question. See how it looks to you. If it looks fine, go to File|Print and find CutePDF. If it doesn't look fine, it's possible that *very* minor adjustments will be all that's needed.
>
> Nothing ventured, nothing gained....

Thanks, Judy. I'll give it a try!

--Dodi